Hallelujah
by Chocpen
Summary: Jack Spicer is but a simple thief in a depressing kingdom and has always wasted his time dreaming. But, when one day he finds a monster and decides to waste his time with her, will his life be more than just a dream?


It was rough but damp under his palm. He squished it tight between his fingers as he took one glance a the street and looked away fast when he saw a flash of dark brown. They were still after him, he thought. It has been an hour and they were still looking for him; so stupid. How many times have they done this before? Hm, he couldn't really remember. But he knew it was a lot and although he failed some, he won others. Unfortunately for them this time he won and he couldn't help but snicker as he climbed up to his little hideaway. He knew nobody could find him there because it was the sixth time he has moved. Sure, it was around the same area, but he knew they wouldn't take notice to that. They never really took notice.

He cracked a grin as he pressed the squishy object on the wooden plank. He palmed it just a bit and felt it shape to a smooth round and pulled his hand away. It took him a whole solid week to steal this piece of very soft clay. Sure, clay may sound like such a simple material (it was to him) but the people around here made such a drama of it. Especially since it was the only material keeping their trading going and the walls up. They were weak walls, but they were still up. But he guessed they won't be for long considering how many pieces he sneaked out of the market.

He ticked his fingers on the plank and crawled over to his other pile of trinkets, hoping that his back won't press against the roof and collapse again. They were all shiny and sharp and when he pressed his thumb against it just right, his skin would peel and bleed. The bleeding hurt, but it was worth it to know that the material was just right. The other pile was full of softer objects, and when he played with them just a little, they could stick together. Like a puzzle. Not that he's ever seen a puzzle; it was just something he heard off the street.

He placed his forearm next to the pile and slid over to press the pile next to the other. Then the other and rotated in a small circle. He then presses his hand on the pile and felt the different textures, the different material and couldn't help but gaze at all the colours. He forgot about all the little colours in the world around him. The kingdom villages were just a haze of dark brown, light green and an unsettling grey. He saw shapes and sizes to tell the differences, but it left his mind in a dream state of mind. Everything seemed to be a dream state of mind for the boy. Like the little colours.

He slipped out of the window fast, draping a dark blanket over his shoulders. He skid across the hot sand, trying to manipulate his feet that it was just a quick bath. He forgot what a bath felt like so he guessed his body would too. He stopped in the shade, took a glance and then ran. Then he stopped when he felt a familiar knob. It was smooth, not so clean and boiling hot. It was familiar and he liked it. He then turned it and sneaked in, not expecting anything really.

There it was, a light green figure and he jumped for it, not caring for the mumble and the mutter he heard in the faint background. He dug in it, rummaged and threw a few things to the side yet to no avail. None of the little shapes or the figures were a bit similar and he chewed his lip hard. He needed on more piece, just one little piece. And if he had the money, he'd be able to get it in less than a week. Maybe even less than a day. But he didn't have money. He almost forgot what money even looked like, let alone a slice of bread. But he told himself there would be a slice of bread for him soon. Soon, but not now.

"Have you heard of the Puff Forests?" He heard a faint voice and almost jumped. He hasn't heard a voice other than his own in a long time (if you don't count the beckoning voices threatening him down the streets). He took a glance but lost interest when it was just two old women. They were probably just gossiping about one thing or another. They seem to do that a lot these days. These days when the walls started crumbling. "Oh yes, isn't it that one with that strange beast? With the big eyes?" "Mmhmm, they advice everyone to stay away," the boy's ear twitched at that and he blinked. He liked going to restricted areas. "The beast might come and attack people who enter," and he liked big beasts even better. Especially ones that bite.

Ah, he breathed. New fresh air. Well, not fresh. It was damp and he could smell a rotting corpse somewhere in the distance, but it was new. It was new to him, anyway. Much different from the kingdom's run down and old feeling atmosphere. He wonders why he questions his own sleep if his home smelled like an old shoe. He lived in a shoe once, if he could recall. But this air was new to him and he liked it. It was even better to get away from all the dark brown and light green and the oh-so unsettling grey.

He guessed this would be the Puff Forests, considering all the signs warning him not to come. But how can he not come to such a lovely forest? And all the creatures skittering about -wait, no, one just hissed at him. But he just shrugged it off. It wasn't the first thing with two eyes, a mouth and a brain that hissed at him.

It was a few minutes -maybe hours, he couldn't tell anymore- and he slipped. He fell. He landed on something, though. It didn't break his skull or his legs, so that was a first. He looked amongst him. Leaves, branches and a few acorns here and there. It was comfy, though. If he laid there for a while and maybe make a little more room, he might have just found his new home. But plans for a new home quickly fled his mind when a shadow draped over him.

He rose his head and blinked. Once, twice and maybe a little too many times. There were colours; they were bright. They were flowing to the side, all shining and covering the light but letting in a peek or two. The bright colours led to two bright eyes. They were bright, and the colour was strange. What colour was that? But whatever it was, it looked amazing. He wanted that colour. What seems to follow the eyes was structured to be a face…but the nose was missing. The boy might have not seen a lot faces lately, but he knew there has got to be a nose.

Was this the creature the villagers were whispering about? It wasn't a creature, but it wasn't human. It was definitely not an animal, for it has been looking at him for a minute or so and has yet not growled or hissed. It was something…it was a girl. He could see that, with her curves and her smooth way of tilting her head at him. He didn't know much of girls, but she was probably one. She kept peering her through lidded eyes and twitched the corner of her mouth. "You, there,"she bellowed. Her voice was light, but strong. Firm. Like a beast. "What are you doing here?"

No, she wasn't a beast. Other than the hair that flow from her scalp, there was no hair anywhere else. And the lack of fingers wouldn't help her much in the hunting department. No, no, she was something different. "What are you doing here?"she repeated, slowly and more stiffly, almost glaring at him then. She wasn't hissing at him, he noted. He twisted his lips as he stood slowly, feeling the close gaps between the ropes. Was it a net? Seemed a bit loose for a net. He opened his mouth, peered, then smirked. "I came to find a beast,"he answered. She tilted her head further, staring then. Her eyes were wide and he saw the colour again. Such an interesting colour.

"But, I couldn't find one,"he said further. She was silent, but then scoffed. "Then what are you doing down there then? You've been here, in this forest for a long time yet you still look for this beast. What makes you think you'll find it?" He smoothed his hand over his shirt and felt like chuckling as he gazed at her colours. "Oh, but you see,"he cracked a smile, "I haven't found beast; I have found a monster. And she's looking at me with such a beautiful tone of colour."


End file.
